Pets and poison don't mix

AT least one animal a week is treated for accidental poisoning in Orange, prompting veterinarians to warn pet owners to be extra vigilant when using poison around the home.

Canobolas Family Pet Hospital veterinarian Lisa Brisbane told the Central Western Daily while the malicious poisoning of pets was rare, the clinic treats at least one pet a week that has accidentally ingested poison found around the home or yard.

Dr Brisbane said she received an emergency call on Monday night to treat a dog whose owners had seen it eat rat bait.

While the dog appeared in good health when it was brought into the clinic, Dr Brisbane immediately began treating it by making it vomit, giving it rat poisoning antidote and running blood tests.

“The dog had eaten rat bait before so they knew what to do,” Dr Brisbane said.

Dr Brisbane said people needed to ensure they placed bait in areas dogs couldn’t access, although at time rodents can dislodge the bait to an area that’s more accessible.

“There are also lots of accidental poisonings that happen because people aren’t aware things such as grapes, raisons, lilies, anti-freeze and paracetamol are poisonous,” she said.

“If a dog eats these things it can be fatal.”

Dr Brisbane said anyone who suspects their dog has eaten poison should seek treatment immediately.

“Don’t take the wait-and-see approach if you’re unsure if the dog has eaten the poison,” she said.

Dr Brisbane said pet owners needed to be aware of the dangers of snail baits that claim to be pet friendly.

“Last weekend I treated a dog that had eaten too much pet-friendly bait and it ended up dying,” she said.

Orange Veterinary Hospital veterinarian John Mason said it was important people using snail or rat bait were mindful of the dangers.

“Most of the poisonings happen in people’s own backyards when they haven’t been careful with baits,” he said.

“People also need to use pet-safe bait stations.”

Dr Mason said he was concerned to hear snail baits had been found in public parks recently and reminded people to be careful when walking their dogs.

“I think it’s terrible that anyone would do this, I really wonder what goes through some people’s heads,” he said.